Starting and stopping mechanism



June16,41936. G ASS 2,044,501

STARTING AND STOPPING MECHANISM Original Filed Aug. 10, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 16, 1936. P. R. GLASS I 2,0445% STARTING AND STOPPING MECHANISM Original Filed Aug. 10, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 sax Patented June 16, 1936 warren stares hA'iENT STARTING AND STOPPING MECHANISM Perley R. Glass, Salem,

Mass, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Paterson, N. 3., a corporation of New Jersey 13 Claims.

This invention relates to starting and stopping mechanisms and particularly to a mechanism for preventing a high speed machine from being stopped, after the driving power has been withrawn from its driving pulley, until the speed of the machine has been reduced to a point where it may be safely stopped without injury or undue shock to its parts.

The mechanism, as illustrated, is designed for use with the folding machine shown in applicants co -pending application Serial No. 684,542, filed August 10, 1933, of which this application is a division. The mechanism may, however, be used in other types of machines where such a mode of operation is desirable.

Folding machines, of the type referred to, are used for folding the margins of pieces of sheet material which are to be used in the manufacture of boots and shoes. These machines are commonly run at a comparatively high speed, the driving shaft running at the rate of 1000 or more revolutions per minute. In order tostop the rotation of the shaft accurately and safely, with the shaft always in the same angular position, there is provided, in accordance with a feature of the invention, a mechanism which, upon withdrawal of power from the driving pulley that drives the shaft, prevents the stopping mechanism from becoming effective until the shaft has slowed down to a predetermined rate of rotation. In the illustrated construction, a clutch connects the shaft and a pulley by which it is driven. Depression of a treadle throws in the clutch and applies power to the driving pulley to rotate the shaft at high speed. When it is desired to stop the rotation of the shaft, the treadle is released. This immediately withdraws power from the driving pulley and tends to throw out the clutch, but a centrifugal device, mounted on this pulley, prevents the clutch from being thrown out until the driving pulley and the shaft have slowed down to a predetermined rate of rotation. When this reduced rate of speed has been reached, the clutch is automatically thrown out and the shaft comes to rest.

This and other features of the invention, including certain details of construction and combination of parts, will be described as embodied in the illustrated mechanism and pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is an elevation of the mechanism of the present invention, parts of the upper portions of this mechanism being shown in section;

shaft of the mechanism of the present invention,

and for controlling the clutch thereof; and

Fig. 7 is a sectional view of some of the parts shown in Fig. 2.

The shaft [2| of the machine, and which is also that of the present invention, is driven at comparatively high speed and is so connected with its driving mechanism that, when power is withdrawn from it, it comes to rest always in the same angular position, with the parts of the machine stopped in the proper position to remove a completed portion. of a piece of work and to insert a new portion thereof or a new piece.

Referring to the drawings, the manner in which the rotation of the shaft I2! is controlled will be described. This shaft, which is driven through a clutch of the well-known Horton or roller type, has fast to it a collar till having a hub 30 l provided on its periphery with a plurality of cams with which cooperate rollers 303 carried by a roller cage 305, which encircles the hub 30 l and which has a loose connection therewith by pins 301 carried by the collar Sill and projecting into slots 309 in the roller cage. This pin and slot connection serves to hold the hub and the roller cage in assembled relation if these parts are removed from the machine and it also serves to limit the relative rotation between the collar 30! and the roller cage 305. Surrounding the roller cage is a cylindrical extension 31 i (Fig. 1) projecting from the left-hand face of a driving pulley 3 l 3 which has its hub rotatably mounted on the shaft 12!. A tension spring 3I5 acts, when permitted to do so, to rotate the roller cage forwardly with respect to the shaft and cause the rollers to ride up on the cams on the hub 30! until they are wedged between these cams and the inner surface of the cylindrical extension 3! I, whereupon the shaft is driven by the pulley. In the position of rest shown in Fig. 2, the shaft l2! has been disconnected from the driving pulley 3l3 by reason of the fact that a stop arm or controller 3H, movable in a plane perpendicular to the shaft, has been brought into the path of, and then into engagement with, 2. lug 3I9 on the roller cage and has stopped its rotation. After the stopping of the roller cage, the momentum of the driven parts still continues the rotation of the collar 30! and puts the spring 3l5 under increased tension while the pins 30! in the collar 30! move forward until they strike the forward ends of the slots 309 in the already stopped roller cage 335, thus also stopping the collar and the shaft !2!. With the forward rotation of these parts stopped, the stretched spring 3l5 tends to contract and move the shaft !2! and collar 30! backward. To prevent any substantial backward movement under these conditions, due principally to said stretch of the spring 3|5 and also to the natural rebound of the parts, a pawl 32! is provided which moves yieldingly into contact with ratchet teeth 323 formed on the periphery of the collar 30!. The pawl 32! moves into contact with the ratchet teeth at the same time that the stop arm 3!? is brought into the path of the lug 3!9, as will be explained hereinafter. Thus, forward movement of the shaft and parts is permitted by the pawl under momentum but substantial backward movement is prevented by the engagement of the pawl with one of the ratchet teeth. The clutch mechanism, as thus far described, is old and well-known, and any suitable clutch mechanism, controlled in a manner presently to be described, may be employed.

The arrangement whereby the pawl 32! and stop arm 3!! are moved simultaneously will now be explained. The stop arm 3!! is adjustably fastened to a lever 325 pivoted at 327 to the frame; and the pawl 32! is similarly fastened to a lever 329 pivoted at 33! to the frame. A tension spring 333 connects the stop arm and the pawl, and an adjustable abutment screw 335 threaded through the inner end of the lever 325 engages the under side of the inner end of the lever 329. The outer end of the lever 325 is pivotally connected at 33'! to the upper end of a rod 339 which is urged upwardly at all times by a spring, in a manner presently to be described. Thus, with the construction as thus far described, if the rod 339 is pulled down, the stop arm 3!! and the pawl 32! are both withdrawn from operative position and the clutch is thrown in to connect the pulley 3!3 with the shaft !2!; and, if the rod 339 is released, the stop arm 3!! and the pawl 32! are moved into the operative position shown in Fig. 2, to throw out the clutch and stop the shaft always in the sameangular position.

The shaft I2! is rotated at high speed, i. e. at 1000 or more R. P. M., as has been stated, when it is connected to the pulley 3l3 through the clutch, the pulley being driven by a belt 34! from a sewing machine transmitter which is started by a depressing movement of a treadle 4M, which movement also pulls down the rod 339, as will be fully described later, to engage the clutch.

The above high speed is attained almost instantly, but it is not feasible, however, to throw out the clutch and stop the rotation of the shaft suddenly, from such high speed, in the manner which has been described and, accordingly, the stop arm 3!! is prevented from returning to the stopping position, shown in Fig. 2, until the pulley has slowed down to a comparatively low speed, for example, 350 R. P. M.

When it is desired to stop the rotation of the shaft !2!, the treadle is released, whereupon a spring M9 (to be described later) rocks the "treadle sufiiciently to withdraw power from the pulley 3|3 and would rock it far enough to allow the rod 339 to swing the stop arm 3!! into stopping position to engage the lug 3l9 (Fig. 2) on the roller cage, if permitted to do so. The stop arm 311, however, is prevented from returning to stopping position until the shaf l2! slows down to a given speed, for example, 350 r. p. m. It is prevented by a guard which, in the illustrated embodiment of the invention, consists of a ring 35!, which although normally in the position or location shown in Fig. 1, has been moved by the action of centrifugal force as soon as the shaft [2! attained a speed greater than 350 R. P. M., parallel to the shaft !2! into the location shown in Fig. 4, and remains there as long as the shaft continues to rotate at, or above, such a velocity. In this position, the guard or ring 35! is in the path of a small roll 353 carried by a small bar 355 which is rigid with the stop arm 3!'!, so that the stop arm, upon release of n the treadle, will carry the roll 353 against the peripheral surface of the ring 35! and the stop arm 3!? will be held from swinging in and engaging the lug 3l9 of the roller cage. When, however, the shaft 52! slows down sufiiciently, springs, to be described, overcome the reduced centrifugal force and move the ring 35! (parallel to the shaft) out from under the roll 353. The stop arm Ell will then be permitted to swing in and the shaft will be brought to rest when the lug 3E9 strikes the stop arm 31?.

The ring 35! has projecting horizontally from it two rods 35 which are slidable through bores in the wall of the pulley 3!3. The rods have threaded outer ends of reduced diameter provided with nuts 359; and between these nuts and the shoulders of the studs are clamped two cars 33!! formed on a block or carrier 36L Located partly in sockets in the carrier and partly in alined sockets in the wall of the pulley are a plurality of compression springs 363 (hereinbefore referred to) which tend at all times to move the ring 35! into, and to hold it in, the inoperative position shown in Fig. 1. In order to move the ring 35! parallel to the shaft !2! into the operative position shown in Fig. 4, the block 36! carries four small rolls 365 which are adapted to be engaged respectively by four wedges (one of which is shown at 33'? in Figs. 1 and 4) carried by a disk 330, the hub of which is mounted on the hub of the pulley 3l3 for a partial or limited rotation relatively thereto. When, therefore, the disk 359 is partially rotated through a small are on, and relatively to, the hub of the rotating pulley 3l3, these Wedges engage the rollers and push the ring 35! to the left into the position shown in Fig. 4. This small movement of rotation of the disk 369 is caused by means of cen trifugal force (as will be described below) generated by the rotation of the pulley 3l3 whenever the rate of rotation is above 350 R. P. M. When the shaft and pulley slow down to 350 R. P. M., the springs 363, through the wedges 331', act to turn the disk 369 back to initial position and to return the ring 35! to the inoperative position shown in Fig. 1, so that the roll 353 may swing past it and permit the clutch controlling mechanism to stop the shaft !2!. The disk 369 carries on its inner face two diametrically opposite rolls 37!, 313 which are received in recesses formed respectively in two weighted arms 315, 37'! pivoted respectively at 3'19, 38! to the pulley. These two arms are shown in Fig. 3 in full lines in the positions which they occupy when the shaft !2! is at rest and in dotted lines in the positions which.- they occupy when the; shaft. is rotating at more than 350R. P. M. In their movements. from. full to dotted line positions, they turn the disk -9 somewhat: upon the shaft IZI and the wedges 36! pushthe ring 35l' to the position shown in Fig. 4, as previously described. Although, foriconvenience, the lower limit of speed of the shaft 12!: has been stated to be 350. R. P'. M., it should be noted that this limit depends upon the strength of" the springs 363: so that, by replacing the springs with others of different strength, the lower limit of speed may be varied.

Referring to Figs. 5 and 6', the treadle-controlled mechanism for applying power to the pulley 313 and simultaneously pulling down on the rod 339, and for subsequently withdrawing power from the pulley and releasing the rod 339, will now be described. Thisrmechanism includes a so-called sewing machine transmitter of usual form, which is adapted to: be bolted to the under side of the bench upon which reststhe machine with which the mechanism ofthe present invention is used. The transmitter consists of a frame 400 having mounted therein a. rotary shaft 4M having fast thereto a. pulley 403 to receive the belt 351 (which drives thepul'ley 3J3) and loose on the shaft MM is a three-step pulley 435 which is driven continuously by a belt 481 from any suitable source of power. A lever 409, pivoted near its middle at l tothe frame 488 of the transmitter and connected at its outer end at H3 to a treadle rod 415, has a depending fork Ml which straddles the shaft 43! and engages the hubof the stepped pulley 405. A tension spring M9 normally holds the lever 469- in the position shown, in which the cooperating friction faces of the stepped pulley 465 and. the pulley 4183 are not in engagement. When the treadle 414', which is attached to the lower end of the treadle rod M5, is depressed, the fork lll pushes the stepped pulley 4135 to the right and connects it frictionally with the pulley 4'03 to apply power thereto and thus drive the belt 3M and pulley 313. When the treadle M4 is released, the parts return to the positions shown and power is withdrawn from the pulley 4G3 and consequently from the pulley 3l3. The construction and mode of operation of the transmitter, as thus far described, are old and well known.

The lower end of the rod 339 (Fig. 5) is pivotally connected at 42! to one end of a horizontal lever 423 which extends at right angles to the shaft 40L This lever 423 is pivoted near its middle at 425 to a stationary member and has at its other end a fork 423 to receive a pin 42'! carried at the inner end of the lever 409. With this construction, when the treadle 414 is depressed to apply power to the pulley 3|3, as just explained, the clutch between the pulley 3l3 and the shaft I2! is also thrown in by the downward movement of the rod 339; and, when the treadle H4 is released and power is withdrawn from the pulley 3I3, the rod 339 is urged yieldingly upward by the spring M9 so that the clutch will be thrown out as soon as the shaft [2! slows down to 350 R. P. M.

Although the invention has been set forth as embodied in a machine of a particular type, it should be understood that the invention is not limited in its scope to such type of machine.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. The combination with a rotary shaft of a driver therefor, means for applying power to Said driver to rotate it at a given rate, means for stopping the shaft always in the same angular position, and a member movable parallel to the shaft for holding the stop means inoperative, after power has been withdrawn from the driver, until the shaft has slowed down to a predetermined rate of rotation.

2. The combination with a rotary shaft of a driver therefor, a clutch between the shaft and the driver, a controller movable into one position to throw in the clutch and into another position to throw out the clutch and stop the shaft in a definite angular position, and means operated by centrifugal force for preventing the clutch from being thrown out as long as the shaft rotates at or above a predetermined rate.

3. The combination with a rotary shaft of a driver. therefor, a roller clutch between the shaft and the driver, said clutch including a roller cage, a controller movable into one position to free the roller cage and throw in the clutch and into another position to engage th roller cage and throw out the clutch, and means operated by centrifugal force after the clutch'has been thrown in for preventing the clutch from being thrown out as long as the shaft rotates at or about a predetermined rate.

4. The combination with a rotary shaft of a high speed rotary driver therefor, a clutch between the shaft and the driver, a controlling member movable into one position to throw in the clutch and into another position to throw it out and stop the shaft in a definite angular position, and means, controlled by the rate of rotation of the shaft when the clutch has been thrown in by movement of the controlling member into one position, to prevent said member from being moved into the other position as long as the shaft continues its high speed rotation.

5. The combination with a rotary shaft of a driver therefor, a clutch between the shaft and the driver, a controller movable into one position to cause engagement of the clutch and into another position to cause its disengagement and stopping of the shaft in a definite angular position, a guard movable to prevent or permit movement of the controller intoone of said positions, and means for moving the guard so that it will either prevent or permit movement of the controller, said means being operated by changes in the speed of the driver.

6. The combination with a rotary shaft of a driver therefor, a clutch between the shaft and the driver, a controller movable into one position to cause engagement of the clutch and into another position to cause its disengagement and stopping of the shaft in a definite angular position, a guard movable to prevent or permit movement of the controller into clutch disengaging position, and means for moving the guard so that it will either prevent or permit movement of the controller, said means being operated by changes in the speed of the driver.

'7. The combination with a rotary shaft of a driver therefor, a clutch between the shaft and the driver, a controller movable in a plane perpendicular to the shaft into one position to cause engagement of the clutch and into another position to cause its disengagement, a guard movable parallel to the shaft to locations where it will either prevent or permit movement of the controller into clutch disengaging position, and centrifugally operated means for moving the guard parallel to the shaft to either of said locations.

8. The combination with a rotary shaft of a driving pulley therefor, a clutch between the shaft and the driving pulley, a controller movable into one position to cause engagement of the clutch and into another position to cause its dis engagement, and a guard ring movable by an increase in the speed of the pulley to a location when it will prevent movement of the controller into clutch disengaging position and movable by a decrease in said speed to a location where it will permit such movement.

9. The combination with a rotary shaft of a driving pulley therefor, a clutch between the shaft and the driving pulley, a controller movable into one position to cause engagement of the clutch and into another position to cause its disengagement, a guard movable parallel to the shaft to locations where it will either prevent or permit movement of the controller into clutch disengaging position, weights pivotally mounted on the pulley, and connections between the weights and the guard for moving the guard by changes in centrifugal force to either of said 10- cations.

10. A mechanism for operating a clutch guard ring for preventing and permitting the operation of a clutch disconnecting and stopping device, comprising a shaft, a driving pulley, a plurality of rods slidably mounted in the pulley parallel to the shaft, a clutch guard ring secured to the ends of the rods, a carrier secured to the opposite ends of the rods, a plurality of rolls mounted on the carrier, a disk mounted for limited rotation about the pulley, wedges mounted on the disk to engage the rolls and slide the carrier, rods and guard ring parallel to the shaft upon partial rotation of the disk relatively to the pulley, and weights pivotally mounted on the pulley and connected to the disk to cause its said partial rotation when changes in speed of the pulley cause pivotal motion of the weights by centrifugal action.

11. The combination with, a rotary shaft of a driving pulley therefor, a clutch between the shaft and the driving pulley, a controller movable into one position to cause engagement of the clutch and into another position to cause its disengagement, a guard ring movable parallel to the shaft to locations where it will either prevent or permit movement of the controller into clutch disengaging position, a plurality of rods slidably mounted in the pulley parallel to the shaft, the guard ring being secured to the ends of the rods, a carrier secured to the opposite ends of the rods, a roll mounted on the carrier, a disk mounted for limited rotation about the pulley, a wedge mounted on the plate to engage the roll, and weights pivotally mounted on the pulley and connected to the disk, all being so constructed and arranged that, when the weights move outwardly by centrifugal force, the disk is given a limited rotation to cause the wedge to act on the roll and slide the carrier, rods and guard ring parallel to the shaft so that the guard ring will be in a location to prevent the controller from moving into clutch disengaging position until the speed of the pulley is reduced to a definite point.

12. The combination with a rotary shaft of a driver therefor, a clutch between the shaft and the driver, a controller movable by the operator into one position to throw in the clutch and movable automatically into another position to throw out the clutch when permitted by the operator,

and means operated by centrifugal force for preventing the clutch from' being thrown out automatically as long as the shaft rotates at or above a predetermined rate.

13. The combination with a rotary shaft of a high speed rotary driver therefor, a clutch between the shaft and the driver, a controlling member movable into one position to throw in the clutch and movable automatically into another position to throw it out when permitted by the operator, and means, controlled by the rate of rotation of the shaft after the clutch has been thrown in by movement of the controlling member into one position, to prevent said member from being moved automatically into the other position as long as the shaft continues its high speed rotation.

PERLEY R. GLASS.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 2,044,501. June 16, 1936.

PERLEY R. GLASS.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specifi ca ion of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 5, second column, line 28, claim 3, for the word "about" read above; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that conform to the record. of the case in the Patent Office Signed and sealed this 20th day of October, A. D. 1936.

the same may Leslie Frazer A g C m ssi ne of Patents. 

